Week 3: Respiratory Breath Sounds

Question 1

What are the three locations of sounds?

Answer 1

Tracheal sounds, tracheal-bronchial sounds, and vesicular sounds

Question 2

What can abnormal sounds indicate?

Answer 2

Can indicate fluid in the airway or narrowing parts of the airway

Question 3

What are the different types of abnormal sounds?

Answer 3

• crackles
• wheeze
• stridor

Question 4

Why do you hear crackles?

Answer 4

When an obstructed airway suddenly opens and the pressure on either side of the obstruction creates vibrations, implying fluid or exudate

Question 5

Why do you hear wheezes?

Answer 5

Due to a collapsed airway lumen, gradually opening during inspiration or gradually closing on expiration, implying a narrowing of airway passages

Question 6

Why do you hear stridors?

Answer 6

Tends to be accentuated during inspiration when extrathoracic airways collapse due to lower internal lumen pressure, implying upper airway obstruction

Question 7

What does Rhonchi and Rales suggest?

Answer 7

Rhonchi- fluid in the upper airway
Rales- fluid in the lower airway